Memo to self: Thank all high-value customers this week, before the competition woos them away with a better customer appreciation effort.

Today marks the start of National Thank Your Customer Week which, by its moniker should convey an obvious element of your January marketing efforts. Each year, during the first full week of January, companies take the time to appropriately show their gratitude and appreciation to the clients.

Since January is named after Janus, the god of doorways in Roman mythology, it is the perfect time to look forward and look back at once, with an eye on building customer value. As one year ends and the new year begins, January becomes a doorway that can open up to stronger, more profitable relationships with a well-timed, appropriate thank-you gesture. Or, if you ignore the significance of showing gratitude, your best customers may feel unappreciated over time and migrate to another provider.

So, what are you doing to thank the people who make your business possible? A firm handshake, a phone call with no purpose other than to say thank you, a visit and lunch, or something more elaborate perhaps? A handwritten note card is always a great gesture that cements relationships. How did you react the last time you received a genuine thank you for being a loyal customer?

Let your creative side shine when crafting your unique thank-you effort, but think it through. One Boston area bank mailed out a small potato in a cardboard box with the message that "you’re not small potatoes to us" only to have their bulk mailed potatoes arrive weeks later, rotten. Use common sense, and don’t get too cute with your program. Think low cost, high value and the memorable ways in which you have been thanked.

It’s enigmatic that the majority of businesses ignore this powerful marketing tool. The words "thank you" are among the most influential and persuasive words in your marketing lexicon. A small budget will do the trick. Start with a roll of stamps and a box of nice cards. Even very small gestures deliver tremendous impact. Over the years, I have helped clients in the Fortune 500 and in small businesses use a variety of low cost, highly personalized thank-you programs.

Should every customer be treated alike? Well, every customer is equal, right? Wrong. Some are more equal than others, although every customer deserves the same level of service and respect. You can even thank the people who have not yet chosen to do business with you. In other words, you can thank the people who said no to your proposal for taking the time to seriously consider your services. This can turn a "no" into a "yes" down the road.

Here are four other opportunities to thank your customers throughout the year:

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1. At point of purchase, or immediately afterwards via email with a bounce-back offer that brings them back for an unadvertised special. Think about it. A restaurant can thank a customer with a bounce-back coupon. A computer service company can thank a customer with a thank-you offer on future service.

2. A timely thank you minimizes cognitive dissonance (post-purchase blues) after a big purchase. After all, you want them to stay true to their decision.

3. A transaction-based thank-you program can be used to stimulate a referral or prompt a cross-sale. Not quite a point-of-purchase event, but an offer with 3-4 weeks that arrives in the mail or email or texted to their phone.

4. A thank and sell, unannounced private offer. Imagine a commercial printer in a slow season, let’s say August. Imagine sending out a "thank and sell" cross-selling offer for jobs ordered in August, before the typical September rush. You get the idea.

When you look at the lifetime value of a customer, it just makes smart marketing sense to incorporate a genuine and sincere thank-you program into your marketing mix. It is 100 percent measurable and it is your best opportunity to stimulate that coveted word-of-mouth business we all seek.

Request our free report, "17 Low Cost Ways to Thank Your Customers," via email from your business email with the words "thank you" in the subject line. I’ll include a lifetime value spreadsheet so you can calculate the power of your thank-you program.

Thank you for reading!

Bob Martel is a Marlborough-based marketing consultant, direct marketing copywriter and author of the book "How to Create All the Business You Can Handle." He can be reached at 508-481-8383 or by email at bobmartel@jmbmarketing.com.